Police In Cairo Disperse Anti-Mubarak Protests

Anti-Mubarak protesters shout slogans against the government and military on Saturday, after murder charges against former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak were dismissed.
Ambr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters/Landov
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Ambr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters/Landov

Anti-Mubarak protesters shout slogans against the government and military on Saturday, after murder charges against former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak were dismissed.

Ambr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters/Landov

At least two people were reportedly killed in Cairo's Tahrir Square and 15 others wounded as police sought to disperse a rally protesting a court's decision to drop murder charges against former Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak.

The independent Daily News Egypt says "thousands" of people gathered in the square, which just three years ago was the venue of massive anti-government protests that forced Mubarak's resignation. It said two people were killed by security forces. The BBC put Saturday's crowd at 2,000 and reported one death.

Daily News Egypt says:

"Riot police and military personnel aboard armoured personnel carriers sealed off the square itself in the early stages of the demonstrations. ...

"Security forces eventually dispersed Saturday's demonstrations with water cannons and teargas, with many protesters arrested."

The newspaper says the two people killed, one aged 24 and the other 29, were allegedly shot multiple times by security forces.

As we reported on Saturday, charges of murder related to a bloody crackdown on the Arab Spring protests that had been leveled against the 86-year-old Mubarak were dismissed on appeal.